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Border guards refuse to use passport robots

MEMBERS of Britain's 5,000-strong border force are to boycott newly installed "passport control robots" at airports after the security services expressed fears they would not stop terrorists entering the country.

The boycott follows an admission by senior UK Border Agency officials last month that the intelligence services and police doubt the viability of the facial recognition and passport-checking machines, which aim to automate the job of passport control officers.

Ministers want the "robots" to replace most frontline airport immigration officers over the next five years. The disclosure is a blow to Gordon Brown, who last year trumpeted plans to improve border security with the so-called e-borders scheme.

As well as improving security, ministers hoped the robots would reduce passenger congestion. The agency says the machines would take 13-15 seconds per passenger, while a human would take 20 seconds.

This weekend, critics said the machines may harm border security. Dominic Grieve,